The simple phrase “taken aback” has its roots in nautical terminology and dates back to the 1700s. In the days of sailing ships, when a vessel’s sails were suddenly filled by the wind from the opposite direction, sailors said it was “taken aback.” This usually caused the ship to suddenly stop or be pushed backward, catching the crew off guard.

Surprise, shock, as in He was taken aback by her caustic remark. This idiom comes from nautical terminology of the mid-1700s, when be taken aback referred to the stalling of a ship caused by a wind shift that made the sails lay back against the masts. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1829.

The phrase “taken aback,” using the adverb “aback,” originated as a nautical term to describe a sudden change in wind direction, but is now used to express surprise over an event.